Cardinal George Pell of Australia sentenced to six years in prison
“George Pell, an Australian cardinal who was the Vatican’s chief financial officer and an adviser to Pope Francis, was sentenced to six years in prison(link is external) on Wednesday (Mar. 13), for molesting two boys after Sunday Mass in 1996. The cardinal was convicted on five counts in December, making him the most senior Catholic official — and the first bishop — to be found guilty in a criminal court for sexually abusing minors, according to BishopAccountability.org, which tracks cases of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy.” By Livia Albeck-Ripka and Damien Cave, The New York Times

Swiss bishops, religious orders strengthen abuse reporting mandate
“Just a few days after the Vatican summit on child protection and clerical sexual abuse, the bishops’ conference and major religious superiors of Switzerland adopted new guidelines(link is external), which include mandatory reporting of all allegations to the police. Previously, the bishops said in a statement, when adults reported having been abused, church officials were required to inform them that they could file a civil lawsuit and that they could decide whether a report was filed with the police.” By Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service

The sex-abuse crisis and ordinary lay Catholics
“Toward the end of February 2019, Pope Francis met in Rome with about 124 church leaders, focusing on the sex-abuse crisis in the Roman Catholic Church. The purpose of this long-awaited summit was to provide a teaching moment to the hierarchy(link is external) that addressed the scarring pain of the victims, to hear testimony from some survivors, to review the church’s obligations to act against abuser priests and bishops and to pray, seeking forgiveness for the church’s horrible failures.” Commentary in Coastal Point by Jeannie Bennett Fleming, member of Coastal Delmarva VOTF

ACCOUNTABILITY

Cardinal Pell to appeal conviction on three grounds
“The sexual abuse crisis has put the Catholic Church in crisis globally, and everywhere the response has been full-scale legal warfare. The Vatican, the national hierarchies and the local bishops all dodged and weaved. They filed for injunctions to stop documents being released to the state commissions of investigation. When state authorities had the documents, the church did all in its power to avoid prosecution by relying on the statute of limitations and to limit any extension of these statutes to preclude further prosecutions.” By CathNews.com

Two bishops accused of sexually harassing adults are barred from priestly duties
“The Archdiocese of Baltimore said on Monday (Mar.11) that it had barred two bishops from performing priestly duties and referred their cases to the Vatican(link is external) after an internal investigation into allegations that they had sexually harassed adults, including one claim that was dismissed by church investigators a decade ago. The announcement shined a light on the alleged abuse of adults, an often overlooked corner of the Catholic Church abuse scandal …” By Liam Stack, The New York Times

Catholic archbishop, on his hands and knees, begged for forgiveness over abuse
“When the Archdiocese of Hartford released a list this year identifying 48 priests accused of sexual abuse, five of them had served at the same church: St. George’s, in the small coastal town of Guilford. One had been a pastor there for more than a decade, baptizing children and hearing confessions … And so The Most Rev. Leonard P. Blair, the archbishop of Hartford, responded to the crisis with an extraordinary gesture(link is external): He held a special Mass of Reparations. He said that he came before the congregation ‘on my knees as a bishop’ in search of forgiveness.” By Rick Rojas, The New York Times

Australia’s plenary can wait: We need an adjournment on scandal”

“So often moving against the tide of conventional wisdom, I emigrated from Australia to Ireland in the early ’70s. In 1989, representing a local educational project, I visited a previous archbishop of Dublin and asked him for a financial contribution. He smiled and arranged for me to meet the diocesan accountant. This priest smiled, too, but told me that I would not receive any money for my cause because every possible penny was being kept to finance settlements in the anticipated sex abuse litigation(link is external). Three years previously, Irish bishops had begun to insure themselves against just such risks. The sexual abuse crisis has put the Catholic Church in crisis globally, and everywhere the response has been full-scale legal warfare.” By Gail Grossman Freyne, National Catholic Reporter

Vatican embassy confirms complaint of sexual misconduct against ex-nuncio
“The apostolic nunciature in Ottawa, Ontario, confirmed Feb. 26 that it received a first complaint of sexual misconduct concerning Archbishop Luigi Ventura(link is external), the Vatican’s ambassador to Canada from 2001 to 2009. Archbishop Ventura, now 74, is under investigation for similar allegations in France, where he has served as nuncio since 2009. The alleged incident took place July 26, 2008, at the shrine of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre.” By Philippe Vaillancourt, Catholic News Service, on CatholicPhilly.com

Deliver us: Is the church still covering up abuse?
“Will the Catholic Church’s sex abuse crisis ever end?(link is external) That’s a question everyone has been asking since the latest wave of news in 2018. In Deliver Us, host Maggi Van Dorn is a Catholic committed to healing the church from the inside. She wants to know: How did this happen? And what, if anything, can we do to help? Hear from experts, advocates, and survivors to learn what the church can do to move forward. Because you can’t fix something until you know how it’s broken.” By Maggi Van Dorn, America: The Jesuit Review

Cardinal O’Malley says Vatican meeting was ‘a huge step forward’
“Boston Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley says the recently concluded meeting at the Vatican was a ‘huge step forward’ that educated many of the bishops attending about the clergy sex abuse problem(link is external) that has plagued the Roman Catholic Church. ‘For many of the bishops, I think the conference was a very transformative experience. For many of them, it was the first time that they were listening to victim/survivors; it was the first time they were hearing about the challenges of safeguarding and the responsibility of the bishops,’ O’Malley said in a post on his blog Friday (Mar. 1).” By Martin Finucane, The Boston Globe

Why the sex abuse summit accomplished nothing
“For decades we’ve heard countless opinions of what has caused the clergy sex abuse crises in the Catholic Church: clericalism, celibacy, bad seminary formation. But on the closing day of the bishops’ summit on the protection of minors, we heard a new theory: the devil made them do it(link is external). That’s what Pope Francis suggested multiple times and in various ways in his speech at the conclusion of the Meeting on the Protection of Minors in the Church.” By Jamie Manson, National Catholic Reporter

After Vatican abuse summit, survivors express disappointment and call for concrete reforms
“A group of nearly 200 Catholic leaders including cardinals, lay experts and philanthropists, who met in Washington last month to discuss the church’s ongoing sexual abuse crisis(link is external), released a report with dozens of recommendations just days after a global summit of bishops in Rome concluded their gathering about the same topic.” By Michael J. O’Loughlin, America: The Jesuit Review

Will anything change after the Vatican meeting on abuse?
“The much-anticipated February conference on sex abuse at the Vatican is now history. This is the conference that prevented the U.S. bishops from acting on the sex abuse crisis back in November at their meeting in Baltimore. Was it worth it? What was accomplished?(link is external) We heard the same rhetoric we have been hearing since the crisis first broke in Boston more than 15 years ago. Little in the way of concrete action came out of the discussions. They were marred by divisive speeches demonstrating just how divided our church has become. Finger-pointing and accusations often drowned out thoughtful or serious dialogue on how to address the issue that continues to bedevil the church.” By Pat Perriello, National Catholic Reporter

After the Vatican’s summit on abuse, the stakes are clear
“The long-awaited ‘Meeting on the Protection of Minors in the Church,’ nicknamed the abuse summit, was an extraordinary and historic gathering that surpassed many expectations while perhaps disappointing others(link is external) … It also may have become a prototype of sorts for what synodal gatherings may come to look like in the future in terms of both a diversity of voices and an honesty of opinion.” ByGreg Erlandson, The Pilot

In wake of Vatican summit, Villanova professor believes Catholic Church is on path to reform
“A week ago (Feb. 21-24), an unprecedented Vatican summit on clergy sexual abuse ended. While some had greater expectations of Pope Francis and church leadership, a Villanova professor believes they’re on the right track for reform(link is external). Many observers labeled the summit’s results as empty and lacking in the kind of concrete responses the pope promised at the beginning of the historic session.” By Mark Abrams, KYW News Radio

The sins of the church
“Last week (Feb. 21-24), over a hundred Catholic bishops gathered in Rome for a conference that addressed the problem of child sexual abuse by priests(link is external). The church, and the general public, have known about this problem since the 1980s, when complaints began to surface in the United States. The Vatican chose, at first, to regard it as a localized phenomenon.” By Leonard Hitchcock, Idaho State Journal

The good, the bad and the merciful: Pope Francis after six years
“Six years ago, on March 13, the College of Cardinals surprised the world with the election of the Argentine Jesuit Jorge Bergoglio as pope. Taking the name Francis, he won the admiration and respect of Catholics and non-Catholics alike(link is external) with his simplicity and concern for the poor and marginalized. With each passing year, however, criticism of the pope has become more vocal, especially from the Catholic right, who think he is breaking with traditional church teaching, and the political right, who don’t like his views on global warming, immigration and social justice.” By Thomas Reese, Religion News Service

Sixth year may go down as the most decisive in Francis’ papacy
“It was the early afternoon Eastern time when the smoke started to billow from the chimney atop the Sistine Chapel. At first, it was hard to tell if it was white or not, but as the camera stayed trained on it, and the TV anchors debated its color, the smoke grew whiter and whiter, and then the bells of St. Peter’s Basilica began to ring. Habemus papam. It has been six years to the day since the cardinals elected Jorge Mario Bergoglio as pope(link is external), and Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, the senior cardinal deacon, announced: Qui sibi nomen imposuit Franciscum.” By Michael Sean Winters, National Catholic Reporter

Few abuse scandals involve Francis as directly as that of Argentine bishop
“Though Pope Francis has faced questions and even criticism for his overall handling of the clerical sexual abuse scandals in Catholicism(link is external), few cases touch the pontiff quite as directly as that of Argentine Bishop Gustavo Zanchetta, who was brought to Rome at the pope’s personal initiative and who now stands accused of abuse … Last year, it became public that Zanchetta has been accused both of sexual misconduct and of financial wrongdoing, although a Vatican spokesman insisted there were no abuse allegations at the time Zanchetta was brought to Rome.” By Inés San Martin, Cruxnow.com

Catholic Church cardinals implicated in sex abuse, cover-ups
“The conviction of French Cardinal Philippe Barbarin for failing to report a known pedophile priest to police deepens the crisis confronting an already discredited Catholic Church hierarchy(link is external). The verdict handed down by magistrates Thursday (Mar. 7) shows the church’s once-untouchable “princes” increasingly are judged accountable for priests who abuse children and the superiors who allowed the abuse to continue.” By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press

Cardinal Pell: understanding the verdict and the fury
“Tuesday, February 26, 2019, will go down as probably the worst day yet in the entire 231 year-long history of Australian Catholicism. We thought we’d seen it all during the four years of Royal Commission into Child Sexual Abuse(link is external), especially as terrible stories of mistreatment of children by clergy and in Catholic institutions were recounted. But George Pell’s conviction leaves that shame for dead. Australian Catholics are stunned, outraged and angry at the lack of accountability and betrayal as we are left utterly leaderless by bishops who seem to have run for deep cover from faithful Catholics and everyone else.” By Paul Collins, National Catholic Reporter

BISHOPS

A ‘political town with pastoral needs’ anticipates a new archbishop
“Pope Francis is expected to appoint a new archbishop of Washington in the coming days, a high-profile pick that will be one of the most pivotal of his papacy(link is external) given the nature of this unusual see and the fact that its two most recent leaders have been embroiled in the clergy sex abuse scandal. If evaluated merely by geographical size and statistics, the Archdiocese of Washington doesn’t rank as one of the heavyweights of American Catholicism … (However,) this ecosystem (the nation’s capital) of secular and church politics — in the wealthiest and most powerful country in the world — makes the archdiocese unique.” By John Gehring, National Catholic Reporter

Mexican bishops present five objectives for action on clergy abuse
“The Mexican bishops’ conference has presented an action plan for protecting minors from sexual abuse by clergy(link is external) and pastoral agents. The plan, presented March 5 in Mexico City, outlines five objectives: Diagnosis, prevention, justice and response, supporting victims and promoting respect for the law.” By David Agren, Catholic News Service, in National Catholic Reporter

PRIESTS

Seminaries, relatively recent in church history, are still evolving
“All accused priest sex abusers attended seminary(link is external). While that relationship does not constitute a cause, it has not escaped the attention of seminary rectors and scholars. Seminaries — set apart from the secular world and seen by some as a breeding ground for clericalist attitudes that fostered the sex abuse crisis — have come in for criticism. Yet leaders of Catholic seminaries say that their priestly formation programs have already successfully implemented curricula that can check future sex abuse.” By Peter Feuerherd, National Catholic Reporter

Church renewal needs shared clergy-lay leadership, say experts
“Changing canon law to allow lay people ‘authentic and honest participation’ could encourage renewal in a wounded church(link is external), an expert in church law said in a talk to the Catholic student group at UC Berkeley’s law school. Jennifer Haselberger has a Ph.D. in philosophy and a licentiate in canon law and served as chancellor at the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis before resigning in protest in 2013 over concerns about how the archdiocese handled clergy abuse cases.” By Nicholas Wolfram Smith, Catholic San Francisco

Clerical identity crisis: Flock and pasture can’t tell shepherd who he is
“One of the more memorable public lectures I attended was offered by the then-dean of the faculty of spirituality at Rome’s Pontifical Gregorian University. He admitted before the crowd that after decades of spiritual direction with countless priests and religious he’d come to the conclusion that their overriding problem is that ‘they don’t know who they are(link is external).’ But we would be mistaken to think of this as a ‘church issue’ only. Aristotle wrote in The Nicomachean Ethics that ‘people seem to seek honor in order to convince themselves of their own goodness.’” By Mark Slatter, National Catholic Reporter

CELIBACY& MARRIED PRIESTS

As debate on married priests reignites, ordaining ‘viri probati’ faces hurdles
“This year’s upcoming Vatican summit on the Amazon region is shaping up to be one of the more contentious meetings since the subject of giving communion to the divorced-and-remarried caused heated debates in 2014 and 2015 … The lack of priests in the region is a very real problem(link is external). In Brazil, there is only one priest for every 10,000 Catholics – in the United States, the ratio is about one for every 2,000. In the Amazon region, the situation is even more acute: In some areas, congregations might see a priest once or twice a year.” By Charles Collins, Cruxnow.com

One-third of American Catholics consider leaving Church, Gallup reports
“More than one-third of American Catholics have considered leaving the Church in the wake of the latest abuse scandals(link is external), according to a new Gallup poll. The Gallup poll found that 37% of Catholics were questioning their commitment—a substantial increase over the 22% who were questioning their faith in 2002, when the sex-abuse scandal first erupted nationwide.” By CatholicCulture.org

VOICES

Has the Catholic Church committed the worst crime in American history?
“Horseplay,” a term used to denote child rape(link is external), is, says Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, part of a sinister glossary of euphemisms by which the Catholic Church’s bureaucracy obfuscates in documents the church’s “pattern of abuse” and conspiracy of silence “that goes all the way to the Vatican.” “Benevolent bishops” are those who allow predatory priests, shuffled from other dioceses, to continue as priests.” Commentary by George Will in Chicago Tribune

French cardinal’s downfall a lesson in how accountability happens
“After he (Cruxnow.com managing editor Charles Collins) got done explaining why the Metropolitan may not be the best way to foster accountability, I asked Charley what Church officials ought to do instead. I can’t remember his exact words, but the gist was, ‘It doesn’t matter, because grand juries and public prosecutors will do it for them(link is external).’ Right on cue, three days later Cardinal Philippe Barbarin of Lyon, France, was found guilty by a French court of failure to report sexual abuse by one of his priests and was given a six-month suspended jail sentence. It’s the third time a Catholic bishop in France has been convicted of a similar offense, and the first time for a cardinal.” By John L. Allen, Jr., Cruxnow.com

This Lent, don’t give Catholic bishops a dime
“On Ash Wednesday, the holy season of Lent began — and so did the annual fundraising drives by many of the nation’s Catholic bishops known as the bishops’ Lenten appeals. My advice to my fellow Catholics? Don’t give them a dime(link is external). Last fall, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops was supposed to vote on a resolution to create a special commission, including six lay members, to investigate bishops who cover up sexual abuse.” By Marc Thiessen, The Washington Post, in The Orlando Ledger

A long, difficult grind toward reform
“The recent Rome gathering of bishops from around the world to discuss the sex abuse crisis constituted a remarkable moment in the history of the scandal(link is external). I am aware of strong critiques coming largely from the right and left margins of the community, but it would have been difficult to imagine as little as five years ago a gathering of the hierarchy that so honestly discussed the depravity and failure of the clerical and episcopal cultures.” By Tom Roberts, National Catholic Reporter

New report addresses church’s ‘twin crises’ of sex abuse, leadership failure
“Just days after the close of the Vatican abuse summit, a prominent U.S. Catholic group has released wide-ranging recommendations to address what it calls the ‘twin crises’ of sexual abuse and leadership failures in the church(link is external). The recommendations were part of a report Friday (Mar. 1) from the Leadership Roundtable, a coalition of laity, religious and clergy to promote best practices in church management. The proposals are aimed simultaneously at reforming the structures and the clerical culture that permitted sexual abuse of children and vulnerable adults to persist and go unreported for decades.” By Brian Roewe, National Catholic Reporter

Breaking the culture of silence and secrecy
“Last week Pope Francis convened a summit to discuss clergy sexual abuse. Silence still shrouds clergy abuse of women(link is external). In early February, the pope acknowledged the Catholic Church had faced a persistent problem of sexual abuse of nuns by clergy members. Reports have surfaced worldwide, and the pope admitted that nuns have spoken out for years. In November, the International Union of Superiors General, representing 500,000 nuns, had urged its members to bypass the church and report to law enforcement directly, citing a “culture of silence and secrecy.” Where are the voices of the American sisters?” By Ann Wolf Hodges and John T. Chibnall, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS REFORM

Child Victims Act opens door to $20 million suit against Catholic Church
“A former Queens man is using a new law to re-file a $20 million lawsuit against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn(link is external) and other religious institutions, claiming they allowed his convicted sexual abuser Robert Oliva to molest him for years as a child. James Carlino filed his second suit Tuesday (Mar. 5) in Queens Supreme Court, thanks to the new Child Victims Act that expands statute of limitations on civil cases.” By Elizabeth Rosner and Lia Eustachewich, New York Post

‘Give victims a taste of justice.’ Sexual assault survivors plead for more time to file suit over past abuse in New Jersey
“Bearing photos of themselves as children, six sisters came to a Statehouse hearing in Trenton on Thursday (Mar. 7) to plead with a panel of state lawmakers to vote in favor of bill allowing child sex assault victims in New Jersey to sue over past abuse(link is external). Five of the Fortney sisters say they were sexually assaulted decade ago by Father Augustine Giella, a priest who was transferred to their parish in western Pennsylvania from the Archdiocese of Newark. They are still seeking answers.” By Susan K. Livio, NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Legislature considers sex abuse investigation of Catholic Church
“The Hawaii House and Senate are also voting on separate proposals to eliminate the statute of limitations for child sex abuse claims(link is external). Last summer, a Minnesota law firm published a 50-page booklet listing Hawaii priests accused of child sex abuse. The alphabetical list started with Marc Alexander, who is currently serving as Honolulu’s housing director and has denied 2016 allegations by a minor in Kailua. It ended with Douglas Zlatis, who was accused by two students at Father Damien Memorial School and died in 2009.” By Anita Hofschneider, Honolulu Civil Beat

Maryland looks at eliminating statute of limitations on child sexual abuse
“Maryland’s House of Delegates is considering a bill that would eliminate the statute of limitations in civil claims of child sex abuse(link is external). The House Judiciary Committee heard testimony on the bill on Thursday (Feb. 28) from survivors and advocates. Among them were the bill’s sponsor, Del. C.T. Wilson, who was sexually abused as a child himself. In addition to firsthand accounts of abuse, the committee heard from various survivor organizations, as well as those who deal with legally pursuing sex abuse cases.” By Keara Dowd, WTOP.com

Jenkins announces university plans to address Catholic Church sexual abuse crisis
“University President Fr. John Jenkins announced Notre Dame’s plans to address the Catholic Church sexual abuse scandal(link is external) in a statement to the campus community Monday (Mar. 4). ‘I have heard from many in the campus community how the stories of the past months disheartened and challenged their faith,’ Jenkins said in the statement. ‘True faith calls us not to be discouraged by human sin, but to focus more completely on the hope offered by Christ … Our response, then, demands prayer and reflection, but we must also act.’” By The Observer

Is the Catholic Church still covering up child sex abuse on the grounds that it is a ‘pontifical secret’?
“For a while, I thought Pope Francis was a good man(link is external). I was quite moved when he comforted a child who had been told one of his parents was going to hell due to his atheism, telling him a loving God would never do such a thing. He spoke openly about reforming the monolith the Roman Church has become, and I was delighted. Here, I thought, was the kind of leader the church needed in the 21st century. But alas, the mask quickly began to slip.” By Shane Dunphy, TheJournal.ie

CALIFORNIA

Local priest accused of child molestation placed on leave
“A local priest is under investigation after being accused of child molestation(link is external). A letter was read to parishioners at St. Joseph Catholic Church during mass Sunday (Mar. 3) on behalf of Bishop Armando Ochoa stating that Father Miguel Flores is on leave while the Diocese of Fresno investigates allegation of sex abuse of a minor. Parishioners gasped audibly when it was announced at masses that their priest has been suspended from pastoral duties because of allegations of child molestation. Flores was placed on paid leave Feb. 28.” By Mary Kate Paquette, KGET.com, Fresno, California

COLORADO

Review of sex abuse by Catholic priests will not include one-third of Colorado’s publicly accused clergy
“For five years in the late 1960s and early ’70s, a Catholic brother used ether to subdue at least 23 teenage boys at a Catholic high school in Pueblo. He told them he was conducting an “experiment.” Instead, they alleged in a lawsuit, he molested and raped them in the band room(link is external) … But Mueller’s case and at least eight others like it will not be included in the third-party review announced last month by the state attorney general and the Catholic Church in Colorado because Mueller was supervised by a religious order, not a diocese.” By Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post

FLORIDA

Guest Column: Catholic church needs an abrupt 180
“Carl Hiassen’s March 2 column was right; the pope must confront the pain of Catholic congregants. The survival of the human race depends on morality and religion must be its guardian(link is external). That’s why it’s unacceptable for the Catholic Church’s Meeting on Sexual Abuse (Feb. 24, 2019) to end without a plan. Five strategies have been proposed for years to address these problems. It’s time they were enacted.” Commentary by Diana Milesko in StAugustine.com

INDIANA

Indiana attorney general provides forum to report abusive clergy
“Attorney General Curtis Hill’s office is providing an online form enabling individuals to more easily report instances involving alleged abuse by clergy. The form may be found at his homepage at www.in.gov/attorneygeneral/(link is external). ‘Recent national and international reports of alleged abuse committed by clergy members have prompted widespread concerns,’ Hill said in a statement. ‘Hoosiers are understandably worried that this kind of criminal activity might go underreported even here in Indiana. As a result, we have decided to make sure citizens have an available means of reporting any potential abuse so that authorities at all levels of government can pursue justice for victims.’” By News-Sentinel Staff

Diocese of Sioux City releases sexual abuse list
“The Catholic Diocese of Sioux City released a list of priests who were credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors(link is external). Some victims claim that it may be too little, too late. Pope Francis recently lead a meeting on clerical sexual abuse. He made a call “for an all-out battle against the abuse of minors” and insisted that the church needed to protect the children “from ravenous wolves.” Despite this vow “to combat this evil that strikes at the very heart of our mission,” critics are saying the speech was short of a detailed battle plan.” By Mary Hartnett, KWIT-FM Sioux City

Father Joseph Edward Bradley was ‘temporarily suspended’ by the Diocese of Owensboro, according to a statement Friday (Mar. 1). The diocese received a report that he had sexually abused a minor ‘in the 1980s while he was principal at Owensboro Catholic High School.’” By WSAZ.com, Owensboro, Kentucky

MASSACHUSETTS

Sentencing of former Massachusetts priest delayed for mental evaluation
“The sentencing of a former Massachusetts priest for sexually assaulting an altar boy(link is external) in Maine has been pushed back to allow for a mental health evaluation. Ronald Paquin was found guilty of 11 of 24 counts of gross sexual misconduct in November. The Portland Press Herald reports lawyers for Paquin filed a motion last week to request the evaluation and a judge granted it.” By Associated Press on WHDH.com

New Jersey bishop’s statement highlights efforts to ensure safe environment
“A statement signed by New Jersey bishops details ongoing efforts to ensure safe environments for children and youth(link is external), deal with clergy charged with abuse and assist victims in their process of healing. The March 4 statement was provided to the 120 state legislators and media outlets by the New Jersey Catholic Conference, the public policy arm of the state’s bishops, in Trenton.” By Catholic News Service on CatholicPhilly.com

New Jersey Catholic dioceses must build on list of accused clergy
“The recent release by New Jersey’s Roman Catholic dioceses of a list of 188 priests and deacons credibly accused of sexually abusing children brought heartbreak anew(link is external). Innocents were harmfully exploited for decades, and few of the accused faced anything like justice. Putting together and releasing the list, however, was also a good if much-belated start for New Jersey’s five dioceses to finally come clean about their history of failing to protect children and even covering up cases of abuse.” By Atlantic City Breaking News

Parents are often forgotten victims of Catholicism’s sex abuse scandal
“When she talks about the Catholic Church, you can hear the sound of Phyllis Hanratty’s breaking heart. Hanratty’s son, Edward Jr., said he was abused by a Catholic priest for several years(link is external) in the late 1980s when the family lived in Ridgefield Park and were loyal members of St. Francis of Assisi parish.” By Mike Kelly, North Jersey Record

NEW MEXICO

AG investigation names two more priests
“The state Attorney General’s Office is investigating two Catholic priests in connection with the repeated rape of a boy over several years(link is external) in the 1980s while they served as church leaders in Albuquerque and as Boy Scout leaders while on outings in ‘wilderness areas’ of New Mexico.” By Matthew Reisen, Albuquerque Journal

NEW YORK

Report clergy sex abuse to police, not the church
“Imagine your child was sexually abused at a place synonymous with goodwill. A school. A close neighbor’s home. A church. What would your first reaction be?(link is external) For most people, the answer is straightforward: Call local law enforcement. Despite this common-sense reaction, the Catholic church is reinforcing the same dangerous practices that protected its power at the expense of children’s safety by still encouraging reports of abuse be made directly to the Catholic church.” Commentary by Tim Hale, Albany Times Union

Catholic group urges Buffalo’s bishop to adopt reforms in wake of abuse scandal
“The Buffalo Diocese must do more to assist clergy sex abuse survivors and to disclose the depth and scale of abuses perpetrated on children and vulnerable adults, according to an organized group of Catholic worshippers. Those are among nine key recommendations from the group, which has been meeting since December to find ways of rebuilding trust in the diocese in the wake of a clergy sex abuse scandal that has rattled the faithful. The group calling itself the Movement to Restore Trust urged Bishop Richard J. Malone(link is external)to offer one-on-one and group listening sessions with sex abuse victims, as well as a full spectrum of ‘independent, trauma-informed counseling services, treatments and therapies’ and a more sensitive and responsive intake program.” By Jay Tokasz, The Buffalo News

Ithaca College, Cornell priest accused of sexual abuse of a minor
“A priest who served at Ithaca College and Cornell University has been accused of sexual abuse of a minor(link is external). In an Intercom message sent out to the campus community, Hierald Osorto, Ithaca College’s director of the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, said the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester alerted the school it had received notice of an allegation against Rev. Carsten Martensen, who has served in campus ministry for both schools since 2007, for abuse that allegedly occurred in the 1970s.” By Katie Sullivan Borrelli, Ithaca Journal

Day of reckoning: A wave of fresh accusations against priests has been unleashed
“After decades of anguish and argument over sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church, a final reckoning may be coming for New York parishioners(link is external). Over the last quarter century, sexual abuse allegations, some of them horrendous, have been lodged in fits and starts against more than 400 priests and others associated with the church in New York state. The church hierarchy has been accused of concealing the truth about sexual misconduct as well. But the number of past accusations and admissions pale in comparison to what’s happening today, and what will happen in the months ahead.” By Steve Orr and Sean Lahman, Rochester Democrat & Chronicle

OHIO

Time will tell if abuse scandals affects gifts to Catholic Church
“Ash Wednesday. It’s a time when Christians to pray, fast, reflect and repent in the 40 days before Easter. Some members of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus and other Ohio dioceses that have released lists of clergy members accused of sexually abusing children might also be thinking about their monetary contributions to the church(link is external).” By Mark Ferenchik, The Columbus Dispatch

Bishop releases plan to address clergy child sex abuse
“Bishop David Zubik has created a five-point plan of action for the Diocese of Pittsburgh to address concerns raised during a series of ‘listening sessions’(link is external) held following last year’s release of a grand jury report chronicling decades of child sexual abuse by Catholic clergy. The action plan contained in a pastoral letter titled ‘The Church Healing’ that was released on Monday (Mar. 4) ‘goes beyond issues directly related to sexual abuse’ to address: accountability and transparency in church governance, spiritual and human formation for clergy and seminarians, and providing additional channels for parishioners to bring their concerns to the bishop.” By Tony Larussa, TribLive.com

Pennsylvania prosecutor fights clergy sex abuse as she maintains Catholic faith
“When allegations of past sexual abuse were first made against a priest(link is external) at St. Clement Catholic Church in Johnstown, Pa., Cambria County District Attorney Kelly Callihan recognized the name immediately. The Rev. George Koharchik had been her family’s pastor for the decade he served at St. Clement’s, from 1974 to 1984. When each of her four eldest siblings got married, ‘he had such a connection with us that he came back to do the weddings,’ Callihan, the sixth of nine children, recalled in a recent interview at her second-floor courthouse office.” By Bobby Ross, Jr., Religion News Service

SOUTH CAROLINA

As Vatican conference on sexual abuse ends, Charleston Diocese on track to release list of credibly accused
“Last Sunday (Oct. 24), Pope Francis ended his unprecedented summit at the Vatican on preventing clergy sexual abuse. At the same time, the Charleston Diocese is preparing to take its own unprecedented measure. A spokeswoman for the Diocese confirmed earlier this week that the diocese is still on track to release its list of priests credibly accused of sexual abuse(link is external) by the end of March, a move that will surely spark plenty of conversation in the ‘Holy City’ once the list is revealed.” By Live 5 News Web

Name of bishop who mishandled clergy abuse removed from Green Bay cathedral building
“The Catholic Diocese of Green Bay has removed a former bishop’s name from a cathedral center(link is external) because of the bishop’s reported mishandling of clergy abuse complaints. The Bishop Wycislo Center, an addition to the St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, will now be called the Cathedral Center.” By Haley BeMiller, Green Bay Press Gazette

AUSTRALIA

Independent panels to ensure transparency
“Broken Bay Diocese has appointed two independent panels to further the diocese’s commitment to safeguarding, transparency and accountability. The appointment of the panels follows the September 2018 launch of the Diocesan Office for Safeguarding, an initiative commenced under the leadership of former Broken Bay bishop Archbishop Peter A. Comensoli. The office marked the first stage of a new structure for the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults within Broken Bay(link is external) by drawing together the valuable work being done in safeguarding, child protection and professional standards across the diocese’s administration, parishes, schools and CatholicCare Broken Bay.” By CathNews.com

Former Catholic priest sexually abused boy over six-year period, Brisbane court hears
“A Brisbane Catholic school priest and teacher took nude photographs of a young student on school grounds and at school excursions over several years from the mid-1970s, a Brisbane court has heard. Former Villanova College priest Michael Ambrose Endicott, 75, pleaded not guilty in the District Court in Brisbane to eight counts of unlawfully and indecently dealing with a child under 12 years old(link is external) and under 16 years old.” By Rachel Riga, Australian Broadcasting Company

Chilean priest accused of a abuse, cardinal accused of cover-up
“Chile’s Roman Catholic church, already the target of Vatican sanctions, was being shaken Tuesday (Mar. 5) by yet another allegation of priestly abuse and high-level cover-up(link is external). Daniel Rojas Alvarez, a 43-year-old indigent man, appeared on a state television broadcast Monday night saying that a priest at the Santiago Cathedral had drugged and raped him in 2015. He said Cardinal Ricardo Ezzati had given him money when told of the attack and told him not to report it.” By Eva Vergara, Associated Press, on PressHerald.com

Costa Rican police raid Church offices after priests accused of sex abuse
“The offices of the Archdiocese of San José and the Costa Rican bishops’ conference were raided by police Thursday (Mar. 7) as part of an investigation of two priests accused of sex abuse(link is external). The Judiciary Investigation Department confiscated computers and files March 7 in search of information regarding Fathers Manuel Antonio Guevara Fonseca and Mauricio Viquez Lizano, and proof of potential cover-up by Archbishop José Rafael Quiros Quiros of San Jose, according to the AP.” By Catholic News Agency

MEXICO

101 of Mexico’s 152 church sex abuse cases being prosecuted
“The head of the Mexican bishops’ conference says 101 of the 157 cases in which Roman Catholic priests have been implicated in sex abuse(link is external) have been turned over to prosecutors. The bishops’ council previously said 152 priests had been removed from the ministry over the last nine years for sex abuse offences against ‘youths or vulnerable adults.’” By Associated Press on VancouverSun.com

“The clergy abuse phenomenon is the worst crisis the church has experienced in more than a thousand years. The Protestant Reformation and its follow-on, the Council of Trent, were about doctrine, church structures and inept clergy. This is about something far worse, the pandemic of sexual violation and rape of countless vulnerable people, especially children, and the systemic enabling of the same by the popes and the hierarchy.” (Tom Doyle in National Catholic Reporter)

The so-called ‘summit’ on the clergy sex abuse crisis was not a total failure. The process and the outcome of the Feb. 21-24 meeting of bishops at the Vatican were clearly a serious disappointment to the victim-survivors, their families and countless others who hoped for something concrete to happen. The accomplishments can only be understood in the context of the totality of the event: the speeches, especially those of the three women, the bishops’ deliberations, the media reaction, and the presence and participation of the victims-survivors from at least 20 countries.

“I have been directly involved in this nightmare since 1984, when the reality of sexual violation of the innocent by clerics, and the systemic lying and cover-up by the hierarchy (from the papacy on down) emerged from layers of ecclesiastical secrecy into the open. By 1985, Pope John Paul II and several high-ranking Vatican clerics possessed detailed information about what was quickly turning into the church’s worst crisis since the Dark Ages …

“.. The clergy abuse phenomenon is the worst crisis the church has experienced in more than a thousand years. The Protestant Reformation and its follow-on, the Council of Trent, were about doctrine, church structures and inept clergy. This is about something far worse, the pandemic of sexual violation and rape of countless vulnerable people, especially children, and the systemic enabling of the same by the popes and the hierarchy.

“When will it be over and what is needed to fix it? The answers are obvious, but they invoke such fear in the clerical elite that they aren’t even able to discuss them. This nightmare will continue as long as the hierarchical system that created and sustained it exists in its present state. The reasons for this phenomenon are deeply rooted in the church’s institutional structures and the theological excuses that support them.

“It will take a radical, fundamental process of change before the entire church truly reflects what it is supposed to be, the people of God.”

“Yes, I have been reading Frédéric Martel’s ‘In the Closet of the Vatican.’

“Martel writes that a high percentage of priests and bishops are gay, and that they protected predators out of fear that their own homosexuality would be revealed. For Martel, the need to maintain silence about the prevalence of homosexuality within the clerical system allowed sexual abuse to be hidden and predators to act.

“While his book has been both praised and reviled, I found his hypothesis about the systemic effects of shame-based duplicity and homophobia worth considering. …”

“I would characterize these breaches and abuses as grave,” the chief judge in the case, Peter Kidd, said during the sentencing. Speaking directly to Cardinal Pell, he added: “Your conduct was permeated by staggering arrogance.” (The New York Times)

George Pell, an Australian cardinal who was the Vatican’s chief financial officer and an adviser to Pope Francis, was sentenced to six years in prison on Wednesday (Mar. 13), for molesting two boys after Sunday Mass in 1996.

“The cardinal was convicted on five counts in December, making him the most senior Catholic official — and the first bishop — to be found guilty in a criminal court for sexually abusing minors, according to BishopAccountability.org, which tracks cases of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy.

“Cardinal Pell, who stood stone-faced with lips pursed when his sentence was read aloud, will not be eligible for parole for three years and eight months.

“‘I would characterize these breaches and abuses as grave,’ the chief judge in the case, Peter Kidd, said during the sentencing. Speaking directly to Cardinal Pell, he added: ‘Your conduct was permeated by staggering arrogance.'”

By Livia Albeck-Ripka and Damien Cave, The New York Times — Read more …

One line in particular from (Cardinal Blase) Cupich (of Chicago) stood out: his claim that the “structural elements” of reform would not be enough unless “we anchor all our deliberations in the piercing pain of those who have been abused and of the families who have suffered with them.” (Commonweal)

In the lead-up to last month’s four-day Vatican summit on the sexual abuse of minors, organizers made a concerted effort to lower expectations. A crisis decades in the making, the full scope of which is still coming into view, would not be solved in one meeting, they insisted. There would be no sweeping policy changes from on high, no declaration from Pope Francis that definitively addressed every concern about how the church handles sexual abuse, no “closure.” But even if such a gathering was never intended to do everything, it’s still fair to ask whether it did enough.

“The unsatisfying answer is that no one knows—yet.

“The effectiveness of the summit may only be revealed in the weeks, months, and perhaps years ahead, after the bishops have returned home and continue—or in some cases, start—the work of responding to, and safeguarding against, sexual abuse. It’s an approach in line with what Francis once described as a “healthy decentralization,” recognizing that bishops in different parts of the world might need to develop different strategies, perhaps above all when it comes to how the church relates to civil authorities. But this shouldn’t be mistaken for a lackadaisical, “hands-off” approach. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith will provide the bishops with a handbook that clearly lays out their responsibilities for dealing with accusations of abuse—and, as Austen Ivereigh points out, the 2016 motu propio “As a Loving Mother” makes it clear they’ll be removed if they fail. It was also announced at the summit that special task forces would be created to offer bishops additional support. And there were proposals for how the bishops themselves, along with religious superiors, should be held accountable. Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich offered a framework, rooted in synodality, for discussion and discernment about such reforms.”

Pope defrocks Theodore McCarrick, ex-cardinal accused of sexual abuse
“Pope Francis has expelled Theodore E. McCarrick, a former cardinal and archbishop of Washington, from the priesthood(link is external), after the church found him guilty of sexually abusing minors and adult seminarians over decades, the Vatican said on Saturday (Feb. 16). The move appears to be the first time any cardinal has been defrocked for sexual abuse — marking a critical moment in the Vatican’s handling of a scandal that has gripped the church for nearly two decades. It is also the first time an American cardinal has been removed from the priesthood.”By Elizabeth Dias and Jason Horowitz, The New York Times

Australian Cardinal George Pell convicted of child sex abuse
“A high-ranking Catholic official has been convicted of child sex abuse(link is external)and is due to be sentenced Wednesday (Feb. 27). Australian Cardinal George Pell, a top adviser to Pope Francis who was in charge of Vatican finances until he was accused, was found guilty of five charges of ‘historical child sexual offenses’ that go back decades. A jury in the County Court of Victoria in Melbourne where Pell, 77, was once archbishop, found the cardinal guilty after two days of deliberation in December.” By Richard Gonzales, National Public Radio

After abuse crisis, Holy Spirit planning new ‘season’ for the church
“The laity may be angry over the most recent revelations of the Catholic Church’s sex abuse crisis, but bishops, particularly younger ones, share in that anger and ‘want to move with real force’ toward solutions and it could yield a new season for the church(link is external), said the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Feb. 6.” By Rhina Guidos, Catholic News Service, on CatholicPhilly.com

Why does the Catholic Church keep failing on sexual abuse, By Emma Green
“A few years after Seán O’Malley took over the Archdiocese of Boston in 2003, at the peak of the clergy sexual-abuse crisis in America(link is external), he led novenas of penance at nine of the city’s most affected parishes. At each church he visited, he lay facedown on the floor before the altar, begging for forgiveness. This is how O’Malley has spent his life in ministry: cleaning up after pedophile priests and their apologists, and serving as the Catholic Church’s public face of repentance and reform.” By Emma Green, The Atlantic

The report comes five days after the conclusion of the global summit on sexual abuse Pope Francis held at the Vatican and a month after Leadership Roundtable hosted its own two-day meeting on the clergy sexual abuse crisis. (National Catholic Reporter)

Just days after the close of the Vatican abuse summit, a prominent U.S. Catholic group has released wide-ranging recommendations to address what it calls the ‘twin crises’ of sexual abuse and leadership failures in the church.

“The recommendations were part of a report Friday (Mar. 1) from the Leadership Roundtable, a coalition of laity, religious and clergy to promote best practices in church management. The proposals are aimed simultaneously at reforming the structures and the clerical culture that permitted sexual abuse of children and vulnerable adults to persist and go unreported for decades.

“Among the report’s more than 50 recommendations is to place bishops under the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, also known as the Dallas Charter, and strengthen its audit process, as well as …”